When runaround is set on boxes, it will, by default, push around overlapping text on any layers below the current. Often, that’s the way we want it. However, layers have been a means of experimentation, of trying out different layouts risk-free. They’re also extremely handy for setting multi-lingual documents. In those cases, XPress’s habit of enforcing runaround across layers, even if the layer containing the runaround object is hidden, can be a real pain in the neck.
The solution is to double-click the layer, and, in the Attributes dialog, uncheck Keep Runaround, which keeps runarounds from previous layers.